IRS makes nonprofit journalism wait

Here's a story of frustrating government bureaucracy — and it could affect dozens of promising media startups. SF Public Press, a nonprofit news organization in San Francisco started by Michael Stoll, has been waiting 21 months for an answer from the IRS on its application for tax-exempt status. Investigative News Network, the Los Angeles-based membership group of 60 nonprofit watchdog media outlets, has been waiting since July 2010. The IRS has told them their applications have been “bundled” with others from nonprofit publishers and were under review by the agency’s chief counsel, says the Chronicle of Philanthropy.